UPDATE: Horseshoe Bay sailings now expected to resume as winds die down

UPDATE: Wind damage to an adjacent marina caused the cancellation of ferry sailings to and from Horeshoe Bay, but winds have now died down and sailings are expected to resume this afternoon.

B.C. Ferries spokeswoman Astrid Braunschmidt said debris that was in the bay has been cleared after “major storm damage” to the neighbouring marina this morning. She said there was a lot of debris in the water, including loose boats and parts of the dock, but “a lot of the debris that was in the water is being pushed away from the terminal.”

Morning and early afternoon sailings to and from Departure Bay, Snug Cove and Langdale were cancelled with the seas choppy off the North Shore.

B.C. Ferries determined at one point in the early afternoon that Horseshoe Bay travel would be shut down for the day, but that is no longer expected to be the case.

PREVIOUSLY POSTED: Wind damage to an adjacent marina has caused the cancellation of all ferry sailings to and from Horeshoe Bay for now.

Morning and early afternoon sailings to and from Departure Bay, Snug Cove and Langdale have been cancelled with the seaschoppy off the North Shore.

“Due to heavy damage from wind in the Sewell’s Marina, all sailings have been cancelled,” notes an advisory to passengers atthe Horseshoe Bay terminal.

B.C. Ferries, on its website, has issued a travel advisory showing that sailings are cancelled on all three Horseshoe Bay routesdue to “severe weather.”

B.C. Ferries advised that the Queen of Cowichan 6:15 a.m. sailing from Departure Bay and the Queen of Oak Bay 8:25 a.m. sailing from Departure Bay have been unable to dock in Horseshoe Bay due to high winds. Both vessels are returning to Nanaimo.

The 10:40 a.m. sailing from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay has been cancelled.

An 11 a.m. sailing from Brentwood Bay and an 11:35 a.m. sailing from Mill Bay have also been cancelled.

Sailings between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale and Snug Cove have also been cancelled this morning.

B.C. Ferries said in a service notice that the safety of passengers and crew is of primary importance.

“We don’t take the decision to cancel sailings lightly, as we know customers rely on us to get to their destinations. We will resume service as soon as it is safe to do so,” the notice reads.

Sailings have been cancelled on some other routes; for information, visit www.bcferries.com.